Priced out of the housing market? Obsessed with design? This glass-walled mobile is low-budget high living for the modern nomad.

It may be a mobile home, but the Glassic Soho won’t be mistaken for any of the single-wides dotting trailer parks across the US. Developed by San Francisco architect and furniture designer Christopher Deam, it’s a sleek, modern alternative living space. At just north of $59,000 for the fully furnished house (wheels included), the Glassic costs at least $10,000 more than a typical trailer. But its target market — think Eames-loving design sophisticates — seems shocked by how cheap the 400-square-foot abode is. “We’re attracting a customer who says, ‘We wouldn’t buy anything else you sell, but we love this,’” explains Denise Walsh, a sales rep at Breckenridge, which manufactures the Glassic.

Of course, there’s a catch: building codes. Trailers like the Glassic are classed as recreational vehicles, which means most municipalities do not treat them as permanent dwellings. Some towns let you plant these stationary vehicles on any land you own. Others restrict them to rural areas. Either way, Deam has plans for the much-derided trailer park: “If you had 40 of these instead of 40 trashy trailers, suddenly you’d have something.”

DRAG AND DROP
Transporting a Glassic to your homesite runs up to $6,000. Simply rest the unit on cinder or limestone blocks, then hook it up to the local water and power systems. Oh, and don’t forget the broadband.

FURNISHED LIVING SPACE
The Glassic can be outfitted with all the creature comforts of a permanent home — hide-a-bed sofa, dining table with seating for six, queen-size bed, washer-dryer, fireplace, and entertainment system.